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English name= Gordon B. Hinckley | image= | birth_name= Gordon Bitner Hinckley | birth_date= June 23 , 1910 | birthplace= Salt Lake City, Utah | ordained_12= 1961 | predecessor_12= J. Reuben Clark, Jr. | successor_12= incumbent | prophet_date= March 12 , 1995 | predecessor= Howard W. Hunter | successor= incumbent | dead =alive| death_date= alive | deathplace= alive }} Gordon Bitner Hinckley (born June 23 , 1910 ) has been President of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints ("LDS Church"; see also Mormon ) since March 1995 . Additionally, at times when President Hinckley's predecessors were in poor health, Hinckley performed many of the duties of the church's presidency. As President of the Church, he is considered by faithful members to be a Prophet , seer, and Revelator of God's will on behalf of humanity. Hinckley also serves as Chairman of the Church Board Of Education And Board Of Trustees that govern the Church Educational System . Life Born in Salt Lake City , Utah , he completed High School there in 1928 . After attending the University Of Utah he was called to serve a mission to London in 1933 , an unusual occurrence for Depression-era Saints. Hinckley returned to the United States in 1935 and soon accepted a job offer to lead the Church's new Public Relations department (he had been schooled as a Journalist in college). Hinckley's responsibilities included developing the Church's fledgling Radio broadcasts and making use of the era's new communication technologies. Starting in 1937 , he served on the Sunday School General Board. On April 29 , 1937 , he married Marjorie Pay ( November 23 , 1911 – April 6 , 2004 ). They had been married 67 years at the time of her death. After service in a Stake presidency, he became a General Authority of the Church in the now discontinued position of Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1958 . In 1961 he himself became an Apostle and member of that Quorum, the youngest at that time. In the early 1980s the ill health of both Church President Spencer W. Kimball and his aging Counselors N. Eldon Tanner and Marion G. Romney led the Church leadership to resort to the occasional practice of adding an additional Counselor to the First Presidency, and Hinckley filled this position on July 23 , 1981 . At the time of Tanner's death in 1982 , Romney succeeded him as First Counselor and Hinckley succeeded Romney as Second Counselor. During this time period, there were a number of questionable, new Mormon historical documents that began to surface, and Hinckley oversaw the purchase of some of these documents. Later, most of the newly-surfaced documents turned out to be forgeries of Mark Hofmann , including the Salamander Letter . Because of his prominence in the Church and his responsibility to oversee the purchase of historical documents, Hinckley became a key figure in the investigation of Hofmann. By this time, however, Hinckley was largely shouldering the burdens of the First Presidency himself. Though he officially remained Second Counselor, he was informally referred to in the press as "acting President of the Church." Kimball and Romney remained largely out of the public eye until President Kimball died in November 1985 . Longtime President Of The Quorum Of The Twelve Apostles Ezra Taft Benson became Church President, and named Hinckley First Counselor. Romney succeeded Benson as President of the Twelve, though he never exercised the duties of this position. Thomas S. Monson became Second Counselor, and, for a while, all three members of the First Presidency were able to perform their duties. In the early 1990s however, Ezra Taft Benson developed serious health problems that removed him from public view, and First Counselor Hinckley again carried out many of the duties of the President of the Church until Benson died in 1994 . Howard W. Hunter , who had succeeded Romney as President of the Twelve, became Church President and set apart Hinckley and Monson as his Counselors, Hinckley additionally becoming President of the Twelve by seniority. And when Hunter died after a presidency of only nine months, Hinckley was chosen to be president of the Church at the age of 84 (his two predecessors had both acceded at age 86) after being unanimously sustained by members of the Quorum of the Twelve. , c. 1998. Courtesy Larry King Live .]] Vigorous for his age, Hinckley has led the Church since March 12 1995 ; he is now the third oldest president in Church history. (Only Joseph Fielding Smith and David O. McKay have been older.) Hinckley is known for his aggressive building of Temples . Under his leadership, the Church has expanded the number of temples worldwide from 27 to 122 (as of October 2005, with 11 announced or under construction). In 2000 alone, more LDS temples opened (34) than existed at the time of Hinckley's ordination to the Presidency. Over two-thirds of all LDS temples currently in operation were dedicated by Hinckley. Hinckley has also overseen other building projects like the LDS Conference Center . On '', a statement of belief and counsel prepared by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. On 31 March 2001 he announced the Perpetual Education Fund , a large endowment that provides loans to students in developing nations. It is funded entirely by donations, with the assumption that students will pay back into the fund when they are able. On July 22 2005 , friends of President Hinckley performed in a celebration commemorating his 95th birthday. In addition to the twenty-two thousand people who attended in person, the event was broadcast on BYU Television and to meetinghouses on the Church's closed-circuit satellite system. Mike Wallace , former host of '' 60 Minutes '', narrated Hinckley's life and his accomplishments. Afterward, Hinckley spoke, thanking everyone for attending, and saying, "Let's do this again in five years." On January 24 , 2006 , Hinckley underwent surgery to remove cancerous growths in his large intestine. According to '' Deseret News '', the procedure went well and a rapid recovery is expected. He was released from the hospital on January 31 . ]] On March 10 , 2006, Hinckley traveled to Santiago, Chile to rededicate a temple. There he told the people that it was likely he wouldn't get back to see them again. Less than a month later, he presided over General Conference . Some speculated he was in bad health because he did not give the opening address. These speculations were soon debunked when a stern and strong Hinckley gave the concluding talk of the Priesthood Session . Awards On June 23 2004 (Hinckley's 94th birthday), President George W. Bush awarded Hinckley the Presidential Medal Of Freedom , the highest civilian honor awarded by the United States , in a ceremony at the White House . The Press Release put forth by the White House stated: : "Gordon B. Hinckley {Link without Title} has inspired millions and has led efforts to improve humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and education funding across the globe." He has been the recipient of a number of educational honors including: the Distinguished Citizen Award, from Southern Utah University ; Distinguished Alumni Award, from the University Of Utah ; and honorary doctorates from Westminster College , Utah State University , University Of Utah , Brigham Young University—Idaho , Brigham Young University , and Southern Utah University . He has received the Silver Buffalo Award of the Boy Scouts Of America and has been honored by the National Conference (formerly the National Conference of Christians and Jews) for his contributions to tolerance and understanding in the world. Biography about Gordon B. Hinckley Dew, Sheri L. ''Go Forward with Faith: The Biography of President Gordon B. Hinckley.'' Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book, c1996. Bibliography by Gordon B. Hinckley President Hinckley has written several books, including:
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